The Crooks – Carry On

Chesterfield’s The Crooks return This Friday with their new single ‘Carry On’ produced by Embrace’s Richard McNamara.

*image and artwork courtesy of the band.

Photos taken for cover by @Buncity_ on Instagram

It’s a marked difference for the band sonically but a natural one for them. Through the vocals and primordial drums, the nomadic spirituality of Stone Roses’ ‘Your Star Will Shine’ and ‘Tightrope’ emerge alongside their inclination for rock ‘n’ roll’s bombast.

The guitars during the build flicker with the grandiose stature of ‘Champagne Supernova’ and howl with heaviness as life comes on top. It’s through Duncan Couch’s lyrics and Jacko’s defiant vocal that light finds a way in:

“My heart kickstarted up again, and beat so hard It shattered all my chest / But I still breathe.”

Modders’ guitars in the closing stages, whilst huge and deafening, are beautifully understated. His connection to songwriter Couch’s lyrics brings an integrity and humble reflection of the times we endure.

Pre-Covid, the band was unleashing lights up fist aloft singalong anthems. Upon return, they nailed the noise and confusion of the psychedelic banger. This was enough to make their debut album one of the hottest prospects. In ‘Carry On’ they’ve strayed into the explorative world of Pastel and The Verve and opened up their future cannon. Key to its success is the gradual step. They’ve retained their sense of death or glory amid the new nodes of shoegaze and psyche. The anticipation of the debut album has now skyrocketed.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming shows:

The Utopiates – Evanescent

London-based groove machine The Utopiates return this Friday with their first release of 2025. Their new single ‘Evanescent’ was produced by Pigeon Detectives and Maximo Park cohort Andy Hawkins. It will be released via V2 Records.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Previous singles ‘Neighbourhood’ and ‘Reputation’ have been privileged to lift 00s NYC indie-electro back to the fore. As it turns out, they’ve been the perfect bridge to ‘Evanescent’ where the band, arguably, step out alone sonically for the first time.

Frontman Dan Popplewell adopts the poetic fire of Skint & Demoralised in the verses, allowing the songs’ discourse of time passing you by to swell. His newly adopted spoken word delivery comes after years of post-punk bands doing the same. It is a testament to his venomous clarion call speeches that it sounds fresh, a lone wolf in a bloated crowd of intolerable bores.  

Josh Redding’s punchy riff condenses Art Brut and TV On The Radio into a slick, angular moment of aggression. Not since Stone Cold kicked to the gut pre-stunner has something so jarring been this enjoyable! Its brutal impact allows the looping synths and Popplewell’s angelic chorus to melt away life’s ills.

Live, The Utopiates have always had an air of defiance that hasn’t shone through on the records. It hasn’t needed to; such was the beauty of the debut album. On stage, though, their humanity shines through, and they’re band desperate to prove to the world they’re worthy of attention. On ‘Evanescent’, they’ve allowed this sentiment to seep in, and it’s freed them up to take creative risks, and it’s paid off.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

THIS IS WAR - Lucifer’s Party

Liverpool’s THIS IS WAR returned at the end of January with two new tracks, ‘Lucifier’s Party’ and ‘Talkin Blues’ featuring Sterlin.

‘Lucifer’s Party’ comes rip-roaring 2025 with their archetypal sound in full flow. The relentlessness of The Jam is injected with the muscular riffage of Pete Townsend.

There are few finer things in this world than seeing frontman Paul Carden attack a vocal like this. Aggressive yet soulful, his cadence distils a purity that allows you to make sense of our times.

Lyrically, he doubles down on this spirit as he attacks the casualness with which the world has lurched to dictators, fascists and oligarchs. The disbelief they conjure at a world of Trump, Putin apologists, and Reform on the march is the righteous angst-ridden tonic we’ve all been unable to wrench from despairing souls.

Countering this is ‘Talkin Blues’, featuring Midland’s artist Sterlin, a self-described electro-punk-rap performer. Sterlin’s introduction to THIS IS WAR is a match made in heaven—his wry and inciteful polemic fizzes with excitement around the NYC-enthused basslines. Jonny Roberts’ guitars fire like an early Bloc Party or Rapture single. Destined for sticky dancefloors in underground sweat-filled indie clubs, ‘Talkin Blues’ broods with the erstwhile menace of The Streets and the understated volatility of a Jagz Kooner remix. Long may this collaboration continue!

The North – Blood Orange

Leeds four-piece The North are back with their new single ‘Blood Orange’.

Soundtrack Your Soul put 2025 on notice with its electrifying guitars and raucous attitude. ‘Blood Orange’ is the antithesis of this. It is measured, downbeat, but no less evocative. At the heart of this creative expansion is Billy Memphis’ vocal. He pivots from Kele Okereke’s hushed indie soul to the early laconic drawl of Jonny Borrell, allowing the agonising confusion of the lyrics to swell.

Memphis’ guitars overlap each other with a masterful precision. As he sings, “I go round and round and round...” his licks howl in every direction, searching for a way out of the mental torture they emanated from.

Memphis and Co have displayed songwriting ability way beyond their years here. Two singles deep and they’ve shown they cut loose and turn inwards. The future is bright; the future is blood orange.

Sonnet – Changeover

Aberdeen band Sonnet released their first single of 2025 at the end of January. It follows the breakthrough EP  ‘Wishful Thinking’ released last summer.

*banner image credit: DMCaptures

To date, Sonnet have been a whirlwind of punk and rock ‘n’ roll. This time out, with unrequited love and isolation dominating the discourse, Sonnet finds themselves more introspective.

The opening line, “Life moves faster, but I don’t know where it goes,” set a melancholic tone as yet untravelled for the band. The guitars, tinged with The Cure's gothic psychedelia, elevate the vocal to a frightening level of vulnerability.

The vocal strays from angelic to unhinged without notice, making this single rise from downtrodden to euphoric, one of great intrigue at all points. The sense that it all could fall apart at any point is tangible. Nevertheless, Sonnet finds a way through the mire to release a scintillating solo into the ether to enrich souls and save lives!

The Lilacs – Calling It A Night

Wigan outfit The Lilacs have come roaring out of the blocks in 2025 with their new single ‘Calling It A Night’. The single is released via Scruff of the Neck Records.

Infectious and sun-kissed, they explore the avenues of taking life to the edge of debauched oblivion and questioning its legitimacy. Many adopt the imagery of “bensons in one hand and heels the other”, too many, but The Lilacs’ infectious and sun-kissed sonic allows them a space to operate credibly. The sense of the gang loitering in the corner of a Spoons, watching others' worlds fall by the wayside with great amusement, shines through. A British pastime as traditional as conkers or cricket.

Sam Birchall’s guitars tap into the rippling joy of ‘Cavorting’ and provide a platform for the melody to breeze into the nation's souls yearning for bands to fill big rooms. Upon first listening, anyone who came of age in the 00s will inevitably feel The Courteeners’ presence looms too large. However, such is the melodic exuberance coursing through the single that ultimately, most will end at a destination of “who cares”.

The Lilacs have kicked off 2025 with an effortlessness that suggests those big rooms are soon to become a reality. A band in such a free-flowing mood can be a hard juggernaut to stop, woe betide anyone attempts it in 2025.

Pete Doherty – Felt Better Alive

“I gave my nights up for old songs, sound better alive
I gave my life over to old songs, sound better alive”

 The Libertines icon recently released his latest single, ‘Felt Better Alive’, via his label Strap Originals. It is the lead single from the upcoming fifth studio album of the same name, due May 16th.

*image credit: Bridie Cummings

The flourishes of skiffle and slide guitar suit Doherty’s down but not out image with a poetic magic that few can authentically compete with. Alongside the strings, it allows a mournful Doherty to build up an intense narrative before his melody melts all life’s woes away.

Nods to ‘What Katie Did’ and ‘Delany’ sonically toy with his glorious and checkered past on the most textured record within his solo cannon to date. The strings, at points, have a lost-at-sea isolation which plants you in his reality, whereas, lyrically, he seeks to reaffirm his younger self’s dreams and notions of “what might have been”. It’s a juxtaposition that seems a natural fit for his romanticism. However, for those who’ve followed the course of his Albion, it comes loaded with tortured imagery and regret.

As he decrees, “I’d always planned to sing in a sweet and soulful way, as only cowboys can!” Doherty transcends music. Like a bird singing just because it can, Doherty finds the sweet spot between a free soul and one trapped by the past.

After a career-redefining year with The Libertines in 2024, the good ship Albion looks set to sail into more glorious sunsets with its chief troubadour in great form.

Marseille – History

For the most part, Marseille has presented itself as a joyous collective. Pulling from the same psychedelic hymn sheet, they’ve traversed Ride, Oasis, and The Verve. On ‘History’, deliberately or not, tension in style arises, and it’s great!

*banner image courtesy of the band.

Lead guitarist Joe Labrum’s parts sound like Noel Gallagher playing Nick McCabe. Less intricate more universal, but still beset with enough spaced-out exploration of The Verve to keep things interesting. They’re guitars for dreamers.

Cut to frontman Will Brown, whose vocals are urgent, besotted with making said dreams reality. They collide poetically with the guitars, causing a chasm. Labrum entices Brown to a more philosophical world, and Brown, in turn, demands they implement it.  

In the closing stages, Brown decrees “you and I, you and me / you and I, you and me / you and I, you and me” in a moment of feverish euphoria. Their worlds unite, dreams become destiny, and hope is restored to guitar lovers.

Like Pastel’s triumphant debut album, Marseille are on a journey to restore rock ‘n’ roll to a time when it mattered when bands were life and death! In ‘History’, they stare into their souls, face their fears, and march forward with a confidence that can only be a clarion call for change to all who listen.

Derby’s Marseille returns on Friday, 24th January, with the new single ‘History’.

The Crooks – Dreaming Out Loud

Chesterfield rock ‘n’ rollers The Crooks are back with their fourth single since reforming ‘Dreaming Out Loud’.

*Banner image by Oliver London.

Since their return, their live shows have been enthralling, emotion-driven moments that will echo down eternity to those who went. On record, ‘Wide Awake’ and ‘In the Meantime’ picked up where they left off sonically, but something was missing.

On ‘What You Know’ and now ‘Dreaming Out Loud’, they’ve found the missing ingredient: the fall-to-the-floor anthem that countenances their sing-along ballads pieces of rock n roll defiance.

The middle ground between ‘Silhouette Sunshine’ and ‘Better Days’ shows the band completely controlling their identity and destiny. Toying with chaos and splicing in great melodies like rock star puppeteers, they have found their sweet spot.

Concise yet huge, they now sound like a band conquering the studio.

The guitars come out swinging with a heavy, intoxicating power on what is comfortably their best riff to date. Its power lies in its conciseness. Like a great heavyweight boxer’s jab, it knocks its opponent back into a daze. The violence of Kasabian’s debut and Rolla loiter as Modders’ hook loops with its way to glory.

Frontman Jacko, so often their melodic secret weapon, pulls back from an all-out assault and allows his soulful drawl to wash over the devastation with euphoric consequences. Few can match Embrace when Danny and Rich McNamara sing in tandem, but Jacko surpasses them in this showing. He leads you to the edge of the universe, allowing the solo to blow holes into the sun.

When they initially split, fans were devastated. The real deal was taken away from them. In the intervening years, no marks and also-rans have filled the void and reaped huge benefits their talents do not warrant. The Crooks’ return was less relief to fans and more, saddle up, we’re coming for the pretenders. ‘Dreaming Out Loud’ gives them yet another stick to beat the middle of the road with, and it feels great!

The Utopiates – Reputation

London outfit The Utopiates are back with their new single, ‘Reputation. ‘Released last week on V2 Records, it follows their LCD Soundsystem-driven ‘Neighbourhood,’ which came out in September.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Their direction of travel on ‘Neighbourhood’ significantly shifted towards NYC and the 00s indie-electro scene. ‘Reputation’ struts further into this territory with crunching basslines akin to London’s 00s scenesters New Young Pony Club.

Frontman Dan Poppewell taps into his vocal cadence on ‘Devolution’, which allows the Disco elements to creep in alongside the New Order meets nu-rave synths, which sprinkle magic sporadically throughout.

The combination of disco and indie-electro in this stripped-back style allows The Utopiates to glide in between Radio 4 and Tom Vek to occupy the fascinating ground. What neither of those above had, nor anyone from the nu-rave/electro scenes, was Josh Redding. He shone as a riff and solo maker of baggy and psyche classics on the debut album. Now, he appears mercurially like a guitar genie. Sprinkling psyche magic a la (Moon Duo) but in concise moments of technicoloured bliss.

Siracuse - Simple Pleasures

Image courtesy of Goldstein United Mgmt

Cheltenham outfit Siracuse recently returned with their latest single, ‘Simple Pleasures,’ via Vibrant Sky Records. The single is backed by the angelic euphoria of ‘You Change,’ and a defined live version of ‘Lossen Your Grip’ on Spotify.

*banner image credit: @james_taking_pictures

Lyrically, Ben Zakotti finds himself in a carefree head space. As seen on ‘Saviour’ and So Serene’, shackle-free is where Zakotti thrives. His innate ability to be in the moment while creating rock music carnage around with nods to the Stones, the Primals, and Kasabian is enough to keep Siracuse’s stick rising into these bleak winter months.

The pulsating intro pushes the hedonism of Soundtrack of Our Lives to the edge of what is sane. Debauched, with the threat of violence lurking, it showcases how intoxicating rock ‘n’ roll’s three chords can still be.

Siracuse is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s best-kept secrets, and the time feels right for that to change. From big epics to short blasts of glory, they have the rock ‘n’ roll cannon to change lives.

Ecko - Let Go

Once upon a time, in a land not far behind us, the media would seek out new rock ‘n’ roll strands to define youth culture. Today, alas, they care more for some obnoxious cunt opening a box of third-world tat so tax-dodging conglomerates can pay them.

*banner image courtesy of All images courtesy of A Deeper Groove

Artwork credit: @turner_photographs

Ayrshire four-piece Ecko is back with their new single ‘Let Go’ for those still curious. The visceral intro leans into the noise and confusion of early Oasis and the filthy and fury of the Pistols. It allows

The licks of Oasis’ ‘Hung In A Bad Place’ are given an injection of breathtaking intensity. It allows the protagonist to lay down the law with a soon-to-be iconic confidence. As the single builds, drummer Johnny Armstrong’s drumming steals the show a la Matt Helders for the Arctics' first three albums before Matthew Welsh’s guitars tap into the riotous angst of ‘Bring It On Down’ with scintillating guile.

The journey to their debut album may feel slow to fans desperate for more, but Ecko is a measured beast for something so sonically unhinged. Appear when they want and deliver significant improvements each time. ‘Let Go’ is flanked by a stunning ode to The Strokes with the b-side ‘Think Three Times’.  A track most bands couldn’t dream of writing is there to back up the gift that is this single.

Yon Mon – Shine On

As the sun sets on The Shed Project, frontman Roy Fletcher launches his new project, Yon Mon. The debut single ‘Shine On’ was recorded with The Jade Assembly's Danny Hayes at Bolton’s Ivy Studio.

Where The Shed Project’s second album had heavier sound and discourse, Yon Mon has returned to the freer energy of their debut. The escapist with the lysergic spirit of Northside and hints of early Charlatans.

Fletcher breaks from the straight-up guitar sound of his former project in the second half, giving the seaside keys of The Horrors’ ‘Primary Colours’ an injection of ecstasy. Coupled with the resounding guitars that loom large, Fletcher has struck upon a sonic perfect for his ‘Some Friendly’ Burgess-era vocal.

Yon Mon will be releasing three more singles in the coming months with the debut album coming in summer 2025. On this showing, it’s shaping up very well indeed!

MOSES – Raining For Days

London’s MOSES released ‘Raining For Days’ at the end of September. It is the third single from their upcoming third studio album and was recorded with long-time cohort Gavin Monaghan at the Magic Garden Studio in Wolverhampton.

Images courtesy of Rocklands Artbeat Promo

There is a beautiful simplicity to ‘Raining For Days’ that recalls Dinosaur Jr. ’s classic ‘Feel The Pain’ or Graham Coxon’s Pavement-esque era of Blur. The melodic guitar noodling building to a heavier release suits MOSES' maturer sound with resounding effectiveness.

Frontman Victor Moses’ vocal is now venturing into masterful territory. More withdrawn than the fire-breathing early singles, knowing when to flash the teeth and spit venom with precision. When he decrees “we only get one life / A cliche that I really like / I believe in what I am and no /  I'll never stop”, the band’s natural inclination to defiance oozes from band to listener, from soul to soul as a unifying clarion call.

Clearer, crisper, and broader than ever, MOSES still maintain their underground status. There’s a renegade spirit festering with intent around everything here that’s undeniable. What were once ifs have become whens with almost the utmost urgency.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming shows:

Those Heavy Souls – How High Is Too High?

Cardiff’s Craig Lewis, aka Those Heavy Souls, recently returned with his new single ‘How High Is Too High?’. Recorded at  Kings Road Studios in Cardiff with Andrew Sanders producing, it follows the fine debut single ‘Everybody’s Changing’.

Images courtesy of the band.

Where ‘Everybody’s Changing’ was a departure from his Columbia days, ‘How High Is Too High?’ introduces his new electronic vision to those heady rock' n roll visions. Lewis has unearthed a sweet spot between Slow Readers Club and early Kasabian, and it’s paying dividends for him.

The Sanders’ trippy Reni-esque drums set the platform for the following discordant Warehouse vision. Lewis’ and Steven Kenward’s guitars are kissed with the melodic glory of Serge Pizzorno’s 00s work and the soaring yet understated psyche work of Adam Nutter (The Music).

Holy Youth Movement and The Utopiates have been leading the charge for rock ‘n’ roll and dance music fusion lately. Those Heavy Souls, armed with a ‘Champagne Supernova’ reference, have entered said race with a blistering charge!

Spangled – Maggie

Manchester’s Spangled returned yesterday with their new single ‘Maggie’. It marks a new era for the band, with Joe Kilroy joining the band on drums. ‘Maggie’ was produced by Gareth Nuttall (The K’s / Rolla) and mastered by Grant Berry.

*image credit: Owen Peters

Artwork credit: Owen Peters

Musically, Spangled have leaned into their love of The Cure with Jamie Halliday’s subtle guitar lines taking a romantic gothic turn. As the single builds, the underdog spirit of Neds Atomic Dustbin and Thousand Yard Stare collide with The Who’s vastness as they build to a euphoric climax.

However, frontman Ben Johnson’s vocals and lyrics are where ‘Maggie’s brilliance lay. At points, Johnson delivers his most angelic vocal. As such, the innocence and celebratory look back at Nan’s life with dementia are allowed to shine through.

The early stages are blessed with a romance and charm that can only come from a grandchild gazing lovingly on at a story they’ve heard a thousand times before. Johnson lights up his Nan with a curiosity about where her mind went and will have many raising their heads to the heavens to think upon those gone.

In the closing stages, though, Johnson delivers an emotional uppercut to set bottom lips quivering:

“I had to look the other way when she asked me if my dad was ok / I wonder if she knows”

The gut-wrenching moments of ‘Good Life Better’ roar to the surface as Johnson howls out a truly incredible vocal. His pain and torment try to find a way out, but Johnson fights back defiantly, not wanting to let the scars show to someone he clearly worshipped.

Despite the grief-ridden torment end, you’re left with the touching sentiment:

“I wanna go wherever Maggie goes”.

On such a deeply personal tale, Spangled have touched upon something universal that will win them legions of fans. The echoes of Pulp discovering themselves in 1994 ooze from this record, now it’s time for those big crowds for Spangled too.

The Kowloons – Raining (It Don’t Stop)

Merseyside’s The Kowloons are back with their new single ‘Raining (It Don’t Stop) today. It follows ‘Can We Go Faster?’ and is the second single from their upcoming debut EP.

*banner image credit: Matt Owen

Artwork courtesy of the band.

Where ‘Can We Go Faster?’ built to an epic climax, ‘Raining’ is instantaneous. The moment Kinks-esque drums rumble, they tap into a British classicism that only evokes joy. Lead guitarist Mason Jones lays the foundation with the acoustic stomp of ‘Dead End Street’ and the melodic blues of the Stones circa ’65 to ’67. Meanwhile, frontman Stephen Ng even drops a sublime “I can't get no” to ramp up this sumptuous slice of ‘60s pastiche.

Despite the immediacy of the melody, a sense of distress and heartbreak percolates throughout. Frontman Ng carries an aching sense of loss through his disillusioned vocal. He has taken all the best bits from Noel Gallagher’s ‘Chasing Yesterday’ and spliced them with a Lee Mavers and Ray Davies-esque vocal.

Two songs into their debut EP, they have already surpassed the eagerly anticipated checkpoint. Two great songs are propelling them into the fast lane and making them one of the most sought-after bands in the UK.

Rolla – We Owe You Nothing

Manchester’s Rolla are back with a new single ‘We Owe You Nothing’. The latest single marks a new era for the band as they sign with Run On Records (The Royston Club). Guitarist Luke McConnell has stepped up to mixing duties with Gareth Nuttall (The K’s) producing.

Image & artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Their time on tour with Kasabian in 2023 wasn’t wasted. The intoxicating violence of their Leicester peers’ debut has been taken on board as they reimagine ‘Club Foot’ in the most visceral and violent intro of the year.

With stadiums back on the rock ‘n’ roll agenda, Rolla have announced themselves as someone to open them via Luke Gilmore’s colossal and destructive basslines. Throbbing with malicious intent, Gilmore descends to the underworld, flirting with ‘Fuckin’ in the Bushes’ and ‘666 Conducer’ along the joyride.

Guitar music is defiant mainly, but not from a position of power like this. Rolla are underdogs (for now), but they project themselves like champions. Chest-out, shoulders back, and zero fucks given! James Gilmore’s howls into the ether with devilish charm and Zeus-like authority.

There are no blueprints to rock ‘n’ roll, but ‘We Owe You Nothing’ is as good as. Hellacious and rebellious, Rolla are back and better than ever!

Lord Fayrebank – A Matter of Time

Lord Fayrebank is Ken Popple's new creative outlet from Creation Records’ Biff Bang Pow! and The Revolving Paint Dream. In May this year, he released his new single ‘A Matter of Time’ with Kevin Taylor on vocals and guitars, Satchmo Taylor on trumpet, and The De La Luande String Quartet on strings also feature on the single.

Vocally, Popple has beautifully nestled in between melodious Pete Astor circa ‘Spilt Milk’ and the aching beauty of Armstrong circa ‘Under Blue Skies’. Underpinned by Ray Davies’ knack for turning unusual corners with a great melody, Popple has made being present something to achieve rather than looming over you like a daunting mental block it can so often be.

Despite being released back in May, ‘A Matter of Time’ is perfect the record for September in the UK. This ode to accepting the passing of time and living for the current summer renaissance perfectly accompanies sonic.

‘A Matter of Time’ is a record for the lost to find themselves in once more. Blessed with great wisdom, it’s a nourishing arm around the shoulder, an enriching pint with a mate, and, quite simply, divine.

Keyside - Runaway

Liverpool four-piece Keyside are back with their new single ‘Runaway’. The lead single from their upcoming sophomore EP with Modern Sky UK. ‘Runaway’ was recorded at their home city studio, Kempston Street Studios, with The Courteeners and Blossoms producer Chris Taylor.

Image & artwork courtesy of Modern Sky UK.

There’s something beautifully cinematic about ‘Runaway’, the kind that Nick Love and Shane Meadows did so well in their early films. Keyside makes the teenage struggle gritty and real, but their La’s-esque melodies and Johnny Marr's aching beauty make it a romantic expression of escapism.

Frontman Dan Parker has found a space between Lee Mavers and Kyle Falconer vocally. His raw melody and razor-sharp delivery allow him to take his ‘Meat Is Murder’ licks from pain to defiance to elation. Oisin McAvoy’s drums have gone to another level. His crisp stomp provides the perfect backdrop for this coming-of-age gem.  

With three more tracks in 2024, Keyside have set an extremely high standard for the incoming autumn and winter.